14th November 1907 – Astrid Lindgren born

Being a father of two daughters growing up in Norway during the end of the seventies and the eighties Astrid Lindgren (14th November 1907-28th January 2002) was an important figure in the life of my family.

Several of her books have been serialized for children’s television and since Swedish language is almost perfectly understandable to Norwegians the tales were also televised on Norwegian children’s television.

Most popular with my kids was perhaps Pippi Långstrump (Pippi Longstocking). Probably because the main character in the book was a girl, was unconventional, extremely independent, had a father who was a sea captain and later king of a south sea island, lived alone (her father was on the south sea island being a king of course), she had a horse and a monkey, and she was extremely strong (she could lift her horse).